Chapter Text
Tony
Rhodey was true to his word. He, Hope, and Rhodey were the first ones out of the room, despite Rhodey having to go back to the gym to train the Rogues.
“Don’t you have places to be?” Tony asked him.
“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but your love life is more important than training,” Rhodey said, making Tony grimace.
“It’s hardly a love life,” Tony tried to explain.
“It is, and we all know it,” Hope said.
“I just really appreciate him,” Tony tried to say.
“I appreciate Hope, I’m not going to kiss her forehead in front of the gym and my children,” Rhodey said.
“I appreciate Rhodey, I’m not about to whisper sweet nothings into his ear while the rest of us have to pretend we can’t hear,” Hope said.
Tony blushed. He didn’t know what he had been thinking when he kissed James back in a room full of people. It wasn’t even as scandalous as his escapades way back then, but it was so much sweeter, and that made it worse. He just knew he didn’t want James to be embarrassed, so he thought he’d even the playing field.
“You have literally caught me with my pants down with how many people, Rhodey? And you’ve seen my scandals in the papers, Hope. If anything, give me shit about those things,” Tony tried to argue.
Rhodey and Hope looked at each other. They then looked at him. Then back at each other and gave twin smiles that said Tony was in for a lot of embarrassment.
“It’s cute that you think you can get out of this, Tony. But those things didn’t matter to you. This does. He does,” Hope said.
“And you matter to us, and since he makes you happy…” Rhodey continued.
“When have I ever expressed feelings for him,” Tony said.
“You didn’t have to. It’s written all over your face,” Rhodey laughed.
“Star-crossed lovers or some shit,” Hope said.
Tony shushed them both.
“You know he has super hearing, right?” He asked.
Both of them looked a little embarrassed, meaning they had forgotten that fact.
Luckily, James and the kids seemed to be talking loud enough that Tony’s little party couldn’t be overheard as they followed them out of the gym and into the common room part of the Compound.
“So, we’re going to break up this little shindig, so Rhodey and go gossip with Carol and pretend that he’s not in love with her, and so Hope can go gossip with the Defenders and pretend not to watch Scott train with the Rogues. And I’ll go reattach a limb I shot off a year ago to the guy I may be overly invested in,” Tony said, now annoyed. He knew he was being cruel but their teasing could get him into so much trouble. James could overhear them and decide to leave, and the kids would be devastated. It would be all Tony’s fault because he couldn’t keep his feelings in check, and he had meddling friends.
“Sorry, Tony,” Hope said.
“I’m not sorry,” Rhodey said. “You need to get over this thing you have where you don’t think you deserve good things. Yes, we have our own issues, and we shouldn’t have had this conversation in the hallway, but you deserve good things, Tony. Just think about it.”
Rhodey punched him in the arm and walked back toward the gym, leaving him with a dead arm and Hope, who wouldn’t look at him.
“Come on, Hope. I’m sorry, okay?” Tony said.
“No, you’re not. And you’re right. But so is he. You deserve good things,” Hope said, now looking him dead in the eye and grabbing both his shoulders. She pulled him in for a hug just as James and the kids rounded the corner.
Everyone raised an eyebrow except for James, who looked at the floor. Tony really needed to paint interesting things on the floor if everyone was going to be staring at it all the time.
“All right kids, Tony is all soft and mushy from feelings so he’s all yours!” Hope said, leaving him behind to deal with excitable kids and a super assassin who looked like he wanted to floor to swallow him up.
Kate rushed him first, grabbing him in for a hug before the others joined in. Only James stayed back, waiting for the kids to have their fun at Tony’s expense.
“Alright, alright, there’s enough of me to go around,” Tony tried to joke. This, however, meant the world to him. That he could have all this power, even without the suit, have done all these bad things, and yet, his kids still loved him. They trusted him. He still was stressed regarding the coversation he’d had before with Rhodey and Hope, but this blind trust by these kids made it worth it.
His eyes strayed from his kids to James, who was looking at them with what could only be called longing. Tony wanted to motion him over, to join them, but he didn’t know how James would take that. Was he pushing too hard too fast? Tony had always been faster at things like this, faster at getting people into bed, faster at big emotions, and faster at moving things along. His brain just processed faster. There was no off switch he could flick and make this whole situation with James slow down, it was all in or all out. He had to come to terms with it faster than he wanted to.
James
Watching Tony and his kids made him ache inside. He wanted to be a part of it so badly. To feel like he belonged. They had accepted him into their fold, but what would it take for them to love him? For him to be a part of them? For him to walk into their group hug and not hesitate? It was eating at him inside. He could feel Tony’s eyes on him, but he didn’t make eye contact. Instead, he remained looking away, deep in his thoughts. He knew deep down that he would have to work hard to earn that trust, for it to be freely given is not what was in the card for him. He had done bad things, so many bad things, and his hands were drenched in blood. He had done unspeakable things to Tony, and yet he hungered for even a taste of his acceptance. He was learning that James Barnes was the kind of man who didn’t do anything by halves. He either loved too much or not at all. In Wakanda, he learned that he did not care for the Rogues, not even Steve, but loved Shuri and her lab. Coming back to New York, he learned that he loved the future, loved the kids, and in his heart of hearts, loved Tony too. He hardly knew the man, he had really just met him. But James’s heart belonged to the future, where the past couldn’t find him, and Tony was the physical embodiment of that. He would always see part of the past in Tony, how could he not? But the thing about Tony was that he wouldn’t let the past win over him and he wouldn’t let James wallow in it either.